Automatic store and method for storing plates of electronic circuits

ABSTRACT

An automatic store and a method for storing plates of electronic circuits comprising a feed belt that feeds the plates of electronic circuits along a first plane (F); collection boxes positioned along at least one side of the feed belt and in which the plates of electronic circuits fed by the feed belt are grouped together according to quality classes; and one or more clearing stations disposed in cooperation with the feed belt in order to position the plates of electronic circuits in the respective collection boxes. The store comprises at least two rows of collection boxes disposed along at least one side of the feed belt, and a movement unit associated with the collection boxes to discharge the filled collection boxes and to position new collection boxes to be filled.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns an automatic store and the relativemethod for storing plates of electronic circuits of defined size andsmall thickness. A typical but non-exclusive example are the plates ofelectronic circuits used, in particular but not exclusively, for makingphotovoltaic cells or green tape, exiting from a quality test performedwith a specific testing unit. In particular, the store according to thepresent invention allows to store the plates separately, classifyingthem according to quality classes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Automatic stores are known, disposed downstream of a testing unit andable to automatically store a determinate type of plate of electroniccircuits in specific collection baskets, separating them according tothe relative quality classes.

This type of known stores normally provide a conveyor belt whichtransports the plates exiting from the testing unit, and one or moreclearing stations disposed above the conveyor belt and able to positionthe plates in the respective collection baskets according to thespecific quality class they belong to.

The collection baskets are normally disposed in a single row at the twosides of the conveyor belt and are substantially co-planar with thelatter.

The baskets are moved by a movement member, which is disposedsubstantially on the same plane as the conveyor belt of the photovoltaiccells.

The movement member is able both to position the empty collectionbaskets at the side of the conveyor belt and also to discharge thecollection baskets when they are completely full of plates.

This known solution provides that both the positioning of the basketsand their discharge is effected at the side of and on the same plane asthe conveyor belt.

Therefore, with the known solution it is necessary to have periodicoperating interruptions of the conveyor belt and of the clearingstations, to wait for one or more full baskets are completely dischargedbefore being able to position, in the same collection positions withrespect to the conveyor belt, corresponding empty baskets to be filled.

Purpose of the present invention is to achieve an automatic store for atesting unit for plates of electronic circuits which allows asubstantially continuous functioning of the conveyor belt and theclearing stations for the plates, even at the same time as one or morecollection baskets are replaced.

The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention toovercome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain theseand other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independentclaims, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of theinvention or variants to the main inventive idea.

An automatic store for storing plates of electronic circuits, inparticular but not exclusively photovoltaic cells, green tape or other,according to the present invention comprises:

-   -   feed means able to feed the plates exiting from the testing unit        along a first plane;    -   collection means able to be positioned along at least one side        of the feed means and in which the plates moved by the feed        means are grouped together according to quality classes; and    -   one or more clearing stations disposed in cooperation with the        feed means and able to position the plates in the respective        collection means.

In accordance with the above purpose, the automatic store comprises atleast two rows of collection means disposed along at least one side ofthe feed means, so that when a collection means of the first row isfull, it is discharged by relative movement means, and the clearingstations continue to position the plates in a corresponding collectionmeans of the second row.

With the present invention, we therefore have the possibility ofpositioning the plates in the collection means substantiallycontinuously, without needing to wait for the full collection means tobe completely discharged in order to position the photovoltaic cells ona new one.

In this way, the positioning of the plates and the discharge of thecompletely full collection means are substantially optimized, thusincreasing productivity.

Advantageously, the movement means is disposed on a second plane,different from and not co-planar with the first plane, and is able tomove the collection means on said second plane, to position them in adesired manner with respect to the feed means, or to discharge them fromthe store.

With this solution we therefore have the photovoltaic ceils that are fedon a first plane, whereas the collection means are moved on a secondplane, different from the first.

The disposition on different planes of the feed means with respect tothe movement means is such as to allow the free movement of thecollection means without interfering either with the other collectionmeans in the loading condition, or with the clearing stations, or withthe feed means.

According to a variant, the movement means comprises a plurality oftransverse belts, each disposed on the second plane transverse to andbelow the rows of collection means disposed at the side of the feedmeans.

According to another variant, the movement means comprises one or morepositioning members able to move the collection means between the secondplane and the first plane. Advantageously, the positioning members areconformed in such a manner that, when they support relative collectionmeans keeping it in correspondence with the first plane, they allow tomove other collection means along the second plane, also below thecollection means kept on the first plane.

In this way, while some of the collection means are on the first planein a lateral position with respect to the feed means in order to receivethe specific plates, other collection means can be simultaneously movedon the second plane to effect discharges or new positionings, withoutneeding to operationally interrupt the feed means.

Furthermore, the movement means, lying on the second plane, can includesegments that pass physically above or below the feed means, so that thepositioning of the collection means can take place on one side, whiletheir discharge can take place on the opposite side with respect to thefeed means.

This solution allows to optimize the movement of the collection meanswith respect to the clearing of the plates, and possibly limit theoverall bulk of the store.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description of a preferential form ofembodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to theattached drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a lateral view of an automatic store for storing plates ofelectronic circuits according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view from above of the automatic store in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a variant of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows an enlarged detail of the automatic store in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional view of the enlarged detail in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows a variant of the automatic store in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL FORM OF EMBODIMENT

With reference to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an automaticstore 10 is schematically shown, for storing plates of electroniccircuits 11, for example photovoltaic ceils, silicon-based wafers, greentape or others.

The store 10 comprises at least a feed belt 12 defining a feed plane F,and on which are positioned the plates 11 exiting from a testing unit orstation, of a substantially known type and not shown in the drawings, tofeed them into the automatic store 10. The testing unit or station isdisposed upstream and in line with the automatic store 10.

In particular, the testing station verifies the production quality ofthe individual plates 11, associating with each of them a relativequality class, according to which they will be specifically storedafterwards.

The automatic store 10 comprises a plurality of collection boxes 16disposed in two parallel rows and provided at the two sides of the feedbelt 12.

The collection boxes 16 are normally disposed in a first loadingposition where they lie substantially on the feed plane F.

According to a variant, the collection boxes 16 disposed in their firstloading position lie on a relative loading plane C substantiallyco-planar and below the feed plane F.

In each of the collection boxes 16 specific plates 11 are able to beloaded, according to their relative quality class.

Each row comprises a determinate number of collection boxes 16 chosenaccording to the number of quality classes provided.

In this way, when a collection box 16 disposed in the first row iscompletely filled, the plates 11 of the same quality class are loadedonto the corresponding collection box 16 of the second row,substantially with no break in continuity.

The store 10 is also provided with two feed turrets 14 for thecollection boxes 16, in which the collection boxes 16 are stacked andare progressively released to replace those completely filled by theplates 11.

According to a variant, the feed turrets 14 are not provided, and thecollection boxes 16 are fed and discharged in line with previous andsubsequent work stations, without being stacked.

The automatic store 10 also comprises one or more clearing stations 13,in this case two, disposed above the feed belt 12, and provided with asuction cup manipulator 15 which picks up the plates 11 from the feedbelt 12 and positions them in the relative collection boxes 16, in boththe first and second row.

Each clearing station 13 in this case is of the robotized type, forexample of the type described in the European patent applicationEP-A-1768174 in the name of the present Applicant.

Advantageously, each clearing station 13 is functionally connected tothe testing station in order to be able to recognize the specificquality class of the individual plates 11.

A movement unit 17 for the collection boxes 16 is also part of theautomatic store 10 according to the invention; it is disposed on amovement plane M substantially parallel and in this case below the teedplane F on which the feed belt 12 lies.

In the solution where the collection boxes 16 lie on the loading planeC, the movement plane M is below both the feed plane F and also belowthe loading plane C.

The movement unit 17 comprises a plurality of transverse belts 19, eachdisposed on the movement plane M transversely to and below the rows ofcollection boxes 16 disposed in their first loading position, at theside of the feed belt 12.

The transverse belts 19 allow to transport the new collection boxes 16or the full collection boxes 16, on the movement plane M, and hencebelow the collection boxes 16 which are on the feed plane F, or on theloading plane C.

In correspondence with each of the collection boxes 16 that are on thefeed plane F or loading plane C, the movement unit 17 comprises apositioning member 20.

Each positioning member 20 allows to move each collection box 16vertically, in order to position it between the first loading position,in which it lies substantially on the feed plane F, or loading plane C,and is suitable to be filled with the plates 11, and a second transportposition, lowered, in which it lies substantially on the movement planeM and is transported by the transverse belts 19.

In particular, each positioning member 20 comprises four liftable arms21 disposed in pairs at the side of the relative transverse belt 19.

The four liftable arms 21 are connected at the lower part by a liftingplate 22, which is disposed in any case under the transverse belt 19 andis in turn moved by a linear actuator 23.

The movement of the liftable arms is shown schematically in Lines ofdashes in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Each liftable arm 21 comprises a lifting bracket 25 able to cooperatewith the bottom of a relative collection box 16 so as to function as asupport for the collection box 16 during the movement between the twopositions of loading and transport.

The disposition of the four liftable arms 21 at the side of thetransverse belt 19 is wide enough to allow the free movement of acollection box 16, new or filled, along the transverse belt 19 withoutinterfering with the liftable arms 21 and/or with the possiblecollection boxes 16 kept in their first loading position.

In particular, in the second transport position of the collection boxes16, the lifting brackets 25 are slightly below the movement plane M soas not to interfere with the movement of the collection boxes 16.

The movement unit 17 also comprises two transport sliders 26 lying onthe movement plane M, mobile substantially parallel to the feed belt 12,and disposed on opposite sides at the ends of the transverse belts 19.

In this way, the collection boxes 16 transported by the transverse belts19 are unloaded onto, or arrive from, the transport sliders 26.

Each transport slider 26 has at least one end which cooperates with theexit of a relative feed turret 14.

In this way, when a new collection box 16 is fed from the feed turret14, or from the line, the collection box 16 is disposed on the relativetransport slider 26.

In this solution, each transport slider 26 comprises relative belts 27that translate the collection boxes 16 transported by the transportslider 26 towards the relative transverse belt 19, to replace the fullcollection boxes 16.

With reference to the variant in FIG. 3, the movement unit 17 alsocomprises two transport belts 126 lying on the movement plane M, facingsubstantially parallel to the feed belt 12, and able to connect the endsof the transverse belts 19 from opposite sides.

In this way, the collection boxes 16 transported by the transverse belts19 are unloaded onto, or arrive from, the transport belts 126.

Each transport belt 126 has at least one end that cooperates with theexit of a relative feed turret 14.

In this way, when a new collection box 16 is fed from the feed turret14, or from the line, the collection box 16 is disposed on the relativetransport belt 126.

In this solution, outside the transport belts 126, the movement unit 17comprises a plurality of thrusters 127 which thrust the new collectionboxes 16 transiting on the transport belts 126 towards the relativetransverse belt 19, to replace the full collection boxes 16.

The automatic store 10 according to the present invention functions asfollows.

Firstly, all the empty collection boxes 16 are kept by the relativepositioning members 20 in their first loading position, so as to definethe two rows at the two sides of the feed belt 12.

The plates 11 fed by the feed belt 12 are progressively picked up by theclearing stations 13 and disposed in the relative collection boxes 16 ofthe first row, according to the specific quality class.

Once a collection box 16 of the first row has been filled, the plates ofthe same quality class are loaded onto the relative collection box 16 ofthe second row.

Simultaneously, the positioning member 20 relating to the fullcollection box 16 moves the latter vertically so as to take it to itssecond transport position.

At this point, the relative transverse belt 19 transports the fullcollection box 16 under the other collection boxes 16, until it reachesone of the two transport sliders 26.

During these movements and transport, the clearing stations 13 continueto pick up the plates 11 fed by the feed belt 12 so as to load them intothe relative collection boxes 16 of the first or second row.

The vertical movement and the activation of the transverse belt 19command a new collection box 16 to be released by one of the two feedturrets 14.

Then the transport sliders 26 are activated, on the one side, todischarge the full collection box 16 and, on the other side, totransport the new collection box 16 into correspondence with therelative transverse belt 19.

In this condition, the belts 27 of the slider 26 translate the newcollection box 16 onto the relative transverse belt 19, which moves itunder the other collection boxes 16 in the loading position until itreaches the relative positioning member 20.

At this point, the positioning member 20 lifts the new collection box 16to take it from its second transport position to its first loadingposition.

It is clear, however, that modifications and/or additions of parts maybe made to the automatic store 10 as described heretofore, withoutdeparting from the field and scope of the present invention.

For example, it comes within the field of the present invention toprovide that, as shown in FIG. 6, the movement unit 17 is not providedwith the positioning member 20.

In this alternative solution, the collection boxes 16 are alwaysdisposed on two rows per side with respect to the feed belt 12, and arekept constantly on the loading plane C under the feed plane F, and movedon the movement plane M, once filled.

To prevent interference between the collection boxes 16, the movement ofthe collection boxes 16 of the first row can be carried out under thefeed belt 12, while the collection boxes 16 of the second row can bemoved on the opposite side towards the transport belts 126.

According to some variants the feed belts 12, transverse belts 19 and/ortransport belts can be selectively moved continuously, step-wise, or atconstant or variable speed, according to specific operatingrequirements.

According to another variant, the plates 11 are transported, picked upand replaced in pairs.

It also comes within the field of the present invention to provide asecond movement plane and/or a second teed plane.

It is also clear that, although the present invention has been describedwith reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the artshall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms ofautomatic store and storage method for plates of electronic circuits,having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence allcoming within the field of protection defined thereby.

1. An automatic store for storing plates of electronic circuitscomprising: a feed unit positioned to feed a plurality of plates along afirst plane; a plurality of collection devices that receive a pluralityof plates, wherein the collection devices when in a loading position,are disposed in a first row disposed along at least one side of the feedunit and in a second row disposed adjacent to the first row; one or moreclearing stations disposed in cooperation with the feed unit to receiveselected plates from the feed unit and to position the selected platesin one of the collection devices; and a movement unit positioned totransfer the collection devices to and from their loading position inthe first or second rows, wherein the movement unit further comprises: aplurality of transverse belts, each disposed within a second plane,wherein each transverse belt is disposed transversely and at a verticaldistance from the first and second rows of collection devices; and atransport member disposed on the second plane and positioned to connectan end of each of the transverse belts with each other, the transportmember further comprising a transport slider that can be positionedtransversely to the transverse belts.
 2. The automatic store as in claim1, wherein the movement unit is positioned to move the collectiondevices on the second plane, which is not co-planar with the firstplane, in order to position the collection devices in a desired mannerwith respect to the feed unit, or to discharge the collection devicesfrom the store.
 3. The automatic store as in claim 2, wherein themovement unit further comprises one or more positioning memberspositioned to move each of the collection devices between the firstplane and the second plane.
 4. The automatic store as in claim 3,wherein the positioning members comprise one or more liftable arms thatmove the collection devices between the first plane and the secondplane.
 5. The automatic store as in claim 4, wherein each liftable armcomprises a lifting bracket positioned to support the collection devicesduring the movement between the first plane and the second plane.
 6. Theautomatic store as in claim 4, wherein the liftable arms are disposed ina widened position with respect to the transverse belt, so as to allowthe free movement of the collection devices along the second plane. 7.The automatic store as in claim 1, comprising at least a feed turret inwhich a plurality of empty collection devices are stacked.
 8. Theautomatic store as in claim 7, wherein the transport member cooperateswith an exit of the feed turret.
 9. The automatic store as in claim 1,wherein the movement unit further comprises a plurality of translationmembers disposed in cooperation with the transport member, andpositioned to translate the collection devices from the transport membertowards the relative transverse belt.
 10. The automatic store as inclaim 1, wherein the transport member further comprises at least atransport belt disposed transversely to the transverse belts.
 11. Theautomatic store as in claim 2, wherein the collection devices in theirloading position are disposed on a third plane disposed between thefirst plane and the second plane.